Leave Management - User Guide
Version: 1.0
Last updated: December 10, 2025
What is Leave Management?
The Leave Management system is where HR teams handle all employee leave requests. This system helps you:
- View all employee leave requests in one place
- Approve or reject leave requests
- Track leave balances for employees
- Generate leave reports
- Monitor leave trends
- Manage different types of leave (vacation, sick, personal)
- Document leave decisions
- Communicate with employees about their leave status
Who Should Use This System?
This system is for:
- HR Managers — Review, approve, and reject leave requests
- HR Specialists — Process and manage leave requests
- HR Directors — Monitor leave policies and trends
- Department Managers — View your team's leave requests (limited access)
- Payroll Staff — Track leave for salary calculations
- Finance Team — Monitor leave-related expenses
How to Access Leave Management
Method 1: From the HR Menu
- Log in to the DTR System
- Click on HR in the main menu
- Click on Leave Requests or Leave Management
- You're now viewing the Leave Management system
Method 2: Direct URL
URL: /hr/leave-request
Leave Management Overview
The Leave Management system has two main pages:
Page 1: Leave Request List (index.blade.php)
Shows all leave requests with filtering and action options.
Page 2: Leave Request Details (show.blade.php)
Shows detailed information about a specific leave request.
Page 1: Leave Request List
Overview
This is the main page showing all leave requests in a table format.
Page Layout
The page is organized into these sections:
Section 1: Filter and Search (Top)
- Date range filters
- Status filters
- Employee name search
- Leave type filters
- Filter and clear buttons
Section 2: Request Table (Main Content)
- All leave requests displayed in table format
- Multiple columns with information
- Action buttons for each request
- Color-coded status badges
Section 3: Pagination (Bottom)
- Navigation controls
- Page indicators
- Previous/Next buttons
Understanding the Filter Section
Available Filters
1. Employee Name Filter
What it does: Search for requests from a specific employee
How to use:
- Find the "Employee Name" search field
- Type the employee's first or last name
- The list updates to show matching employees
- Click Filter to apply
- Click Clear Filters to reset
Example:
- Type "Jane" to find all requests from employees with Jane in their name
- Type "Smith" to find all Smith family employee requests
2. Date Range Filter
What it does: Show requests within a specific date range
Fields:
- From Date — Start date of the leave
- To Date — End date of the leave
How to use:
- Click on "From Date" field
- Select the starting date
- Click on "To Date" field
- Select the ending date
- Click "Filter" button
- Table updates to show requests in that date range
Example:
- From Date: December 1, 2025
- To Date: December 31, 2025
- Shows all leave requests for December
3. Status Filter
What it does: Show requests with specific approval status
Status Options:
- Pending — Waiting for approval
- Approved — Already approved
- Rejected — Already rejected
- Cancelled — Employee cancelled the request
How to use:
- Click on the Status dropdown
- Select the status you want
- Click Filter
- Table shows only requests with that status
Example:
- Select "Pending" to see all requests waiting for your approval
- Select "Approved" to see previously approved requests
4. Leave Type Filter
What it does: Show specific types of leave requests
Leave Types:
- Vacation — Planned time off/holidays
- Sick Leave — Employee illness
- Personal Leave — Personal matters
- Maternity/Paternity Leave — New baby
- Bereavement Leave — Death in family
- Unpaid Leave — Without pay
- Other — Any other type
How to use:
- Click on Leave Type dropdown
- Select the type you want
- Click Filter
- Table shows only that leave type
Example:
- Select "Sick Leave" to see all health-related absences
- Select "Vacation" to see planned time off requests
How to Apply Multiple Filters
Scenario: Show pending vacation requests from Jane in December
Steps:
- Fill in Employee Name: "Jane"
- Fill in From Date: December 1, 2025
- Fill in To Date: December 31, 2025
- Select Status: "Pending"
- Select Leave Type: "Vacation"
- Click "Filter" button
- Table shows only matching requests
Clear Filters Button
What it does: Remove all filters and show all requests
How to use:
- If filters are active, a "Clear Filters" button appears
- Click the button
- All filters removed
- Table resets to show all requests
Understanding the Leave Request Table
Column 1: Request ID
What it shows: Unique identifier for the leave request
Format: LR-001, LR-002, LR-003
Purpose: Reference number for tracking
Example:
Request ID: LR-001234
Column 2: Employee
What it shows:
- Employee's profile picture/avatar
- Employee's full name (Last Name, First Name)
- Employee's ID number
- Employee's department
Example:
[Profile Picture]
Doe, Jane
EMP-001
App Tech Department
Purpose: Quickly identify the employee requesting leave
Column 3: Leave Type
What it shows: The type of leave being requested
Types Displayed:
- Vacation
- Sick Leave
- Personal Leave
- Maternity Leave
- Bereavement Leave
- Unpaid Leave
- Other
Purpose: Know what kind of leave is requested
Coding:
- Usually shown as a label or badge
- May have color coding (e.g., different color for each type)
Column 4: Leave Date Range
What it shows: When the leave starts and ends
Format: Start Date - End Date
Example:
December 10, 2025 - December 15, 2025
Purpose: See exactly when the employee wants to be off
Column 5: Duration
What it shows: How many days the leave is for
Calculation: Number of working days (excludes weekends)
Example:
5 days
10 days
2 weeks
Purpose: Know the length of the absence
Column 6: Requested On
What it shows: When the employee submitted the request
Format: Date and time
Example:
December 5, 2025 at 2:30 PM
Purpose: Know when the request was submitted
Column 7: Status
What it shows: Current approval status of the request
Status Options:
-
Pending (Yellow/Orange Badge)
- Waiting for your approval
- Action needed
-
Approved (Green Badge)
- Already approved
- Employee can take leave
- No action needed
-
Rejected (Red Badge)
- Already rejected
- Employee cannot take leave
- No action needed
-
Cancelled (Gray Badge)
- Employee withdrew the request
- No longer valid
- No action needed
Example:
[Yellow Badge] Pending
[Green Badge] Approved
[Red Badge] Rejected
[Gray Badge] Cancelled
Purpose: Quickly see which requests need your action
Column 8: Reason
What it shows: Employee's reason for the leave
Examples:
- Family vacation
- Doctor's appointment
- Personal emergency
- Not specified
Purpose: Understand why the employee needs leave
Column 9: Actions
What it shows: Buttons to take action on the request
Action Buttons:
-
View/Details Button (Eye Icon)
- Click to see full request details
- Takes you to the details page
- Where you can approve or reject
-
Edit Button (Pencil Icon)
- Only available for pending requests
- Edit the request details
- Change dates, type, or reason
-
More Options Button (Three Dots)
- Additional actions
- May include delete, print, or archive options
Purpose: Take action on requests
Page 2: Leave Request Details
How to Access Details Page
Steps:
- From the Leave Request List
- Find the request you want to review
- Click the eye icon or "View Details" button
- You're taken to the detailed request page
- Full request information displayed
Details Page Layout
The details page shows all information about a single request.
Section 1: Employee Information (Top)
Shows:
- Employee's profile picture
- Employee's full name
- Employee ID
- Department
- Position/Job Title
- Manager name
- Contact information
Purpose: Identify the employee
Example:
┌─────────────────────────────────┐
│ [Profile Picture] │
│ Jane Doe │
│ Employee ID: EMP-001 │
│ Department: App Tech │
│ Position: Senior Developer │
│ Manager: John Smith │
│ Email: jane.doe@company.com │
└─────────────────────────────────┘
Section 2: Leave Request Details (Middle)
Shows:
- Leave type
- Leave reason
- Start date
- End date
- Duration (number of days)
- Request submitted date
- Request submitted time
- Current status
Purpose: Review complete leave information
Example:
┌─────────────────────────────────┐
│ Leave Type: Vacation │
│ Reason: Family Reunion │
│ Start Date: Dec 10, 2025 │
│ End Date: Dec 15, 2025 │
│ Duration: 5 days │
│ Submitted: Dec 5, 2025 │
│ Status: Pending │
└─────────────────────────────────┘
Section 3: Leave Balance (If Available)
Shows:
- Employee's total leave balance
- Leave type balance
- Already used days
- Remaining days
Purpose: Ensure employee has enough leave balance
Example:
Total Vacation Days: 20 days
Already Used: 12 days
Remaining Balance: 8 days
Requesting: 5 days ✓ (Has enough)
Section 4: Attachments (If Available)
Shows:
- Any files the employee attached
- Medical certificates
- Supporting documents
- Notes or evidence
How to use:
- Click on the attachment name
- Download or preview the file
- Use for verification
Example Attachments:
- Doctor's note for sick leave
- Medical certificate
- Travel itinerary for vacation
- Any supporting document
Section 5: Comment History (If Available)
Shows:
- Previous comments on this request
- Who made comments
- When comments were made
- What was said
Purpose: See discussion history
Example:
Manager: "Can you proceed? We have coverage"
Date: Dec 5, 2025 at 10:00 AM
HR: "Checking balance now"
Date: Dec 5, 2025 at 11:30 AM
Section 6: Approval/Rejection Section (Bottom)
Shows:
- Status dropdown
- Approval button
- Rejection button
- Comment field
- Submit button
How to Approve:
- Review all information above
- Click "Approve" button
- (Optional) Add a comment explaining approval
- Click "Submit" or "Confirm"
- System sends approval notification to employee
How to Reject:
- Review all information
- Click "Reject" button
- A reason field appears
- Type the reason for rejection (mandatory)
- (Optional) Add additional comments
- Click "Submit" or "Confirm"
- System sends rejection notification to employee
How to Add Comments:
- Find the comment field
- Type your comment
- Click "Add Comment" or "Post"
- Comment added to history
- Employee may see it depending on permissions
Common Tasks in Leave Management
Task 1: Review Pending Leave Requests
Objective: See all requests waiting for approval
Steps:
- Open Leave Management page
- In Status filter, select "Pending"
- Click "Filter"
- Table shows only pending requests
- Review each request
- Prioritize by date (urgent first)
Task 2: Approve a Vacation Request
Objective: Approve an employee's vacation request
Steps:
- From the leave list, find the vacation request
- Click the view/details button
- Review:
- Employee information
- Leave dates
- Duration
- Employee's leave balance
- Reason for leave
- If everything is okay:
- Click "Approve" button
- Add optional comment
- Click "Submit"
- Notification sent to employee
- Status changes to "Approved"
Task 3: Reject a Leave Request
Objective: Deny a leave request with reason
Steps:
- From the leave list, find the request to reject
- Click the view/details button
- Review the request carefully
- If you need to reject:
- Click "Reject" button
- A reason field appears
- Type the reason (e.g., "Insufficient staffing during this period")
- Add optional detailed comment
- Click "Submit"
- Notification sent to employee with your reason
- Status changes to "Rejected"
Task 4: Search for a Specific Employee's Requests
Objective: Find all leave requests from one employee
Steps:
- Open Leave Management page
- In the Employee Name field, type the employee's name
- Click "Filter"
- Table shows only that employee's requests
- Review their leave history
- See approval status and dates
Example:
- Type "Jane" to find all requests from Jane Doe
- Shows all her requests across time
Task 5: Check Requests for a Specific Month
Objective: View all leave in a particular month
Steps:
- Open Leave Management page
- In From Date, select the 1st of the month
- In To Date, select the last day of the month
- Click "Filter"
- Table shows requests for that month
- See which employees are taking leave
Example:
- From: December 1, 2025
- To: December 31, 2025
- Shows all December leave requests
Task 6: Filter by Leave Type
Objective: See all requests of one type
Steps:
- Open Leave Management page
- In Leave Type dropdown, select the type
- Click "Filter"
- Table shows only that leave type
- Analyze trends
Example:
- Select "Sick Leave"
- Shows all sick leave requests
- Identify if certain employees take excessive sick leave
Task 7: Generate Leave Report
Objective: Create a report for a specific period
Steps:
- Open Leave Management page
- Set date range you want to report on
- (Optional) Select specific leave type
- Click "Filter"
- Review displayed requests
- Look for "Export" or "Print" button
- Download or print the report
- Share with management
Task 8: Verify Employee Leave Balance
Objective: Check if employee has enough leave days
Steps:
- Find the employee's request in the list
- Click to view details
- Look for "Leave Balance" section
- Check:
- Total days available
- Days already used
- Days remaining
- Compare with requested days
- Ensure they have sufficient balance before approving
Understanding Leave Types
Vacation Leave
What it is: Planned time off for holidays or personal relaxation
Typical Duration: 3-30 days
Advance Notice: Usually 2 weeks or more
Approval: Usually approved if balance available
What to check:
- Is advance notice given?
- Is there staffing coverage?
- Does employee have balance?
Color Code: Often blue or light blue
Sick Leave
What it is: Time off due to employee illness or medical appointments
Typical Duration: 1-5 days per request
Advance Notice: May be same-day for emergencies
Approval: Usually auto-approved if balance available
What to check:
- Does employee have enough balance?
- May request medical certificate for multiple days
- Update their health status if needed
Color Code: Often green or light green
Personal Leave
What it is: Time off for personal matters not covered by other leave types
Typical Duration: 1-3 days
Advance Notice: Usually 1 week
Approval: Depends on company policy
What to check:
- Staffing coverage
- Frequency of personal leave
- Legitimate reason
Color Code: Often yellow or orange
Maternity/Paternity Leave
What it is: Extended time off for new baby
Typical Duration: 8-16 weeks
Advance Notice: Usually 2-3 months
Approval: Usually approved (legal requirement)
What to check:
- Legal requirements in your jurisdiction
- Company policy compliance
- Update HR records
- Plan for coverage
Color Code: Often pink or purple
Bereavement Leave
What it is: Time off due to death in the family
Typical Duration: 3-5 days typically
Advance Notice: Usually same-day emergency
Approval: Usually approved
What to check:
- Verify death claim if needed
- Offer condolences
- Plan coverage quickly
Color Code: Often dark gray or black
Unpaid Leave
What it is: Time off without receiving payment
Typical Duration: Variable (days to weeks)
Advance Notice: Usually 2-4 weeks
Approval: Depends on company policy
What to check:
- Is business impact acceptable?
- Payroll impact
- Employee's reason
- Impact on benefits
Color Code: Often dark color or neutral
Important Information About Approvals
Before Approving
Check these items:
- Employee has sufficient balance — Enough days available
- Advance notice provided — Requested in time
- Staffing coverage available — Team won't be understaffed
- No conflicts — Doesn't overlap with critical projects
- Documentation complete — All required information provided
- Attachments verified — Medical certs for sick leave, etc.
After Approving
What happens:
- Status changes to "Approved"
- Email sent to employee confirming approval
- Request appears in calendar
- Payroll notified for salary calculations
- Employee's leave balance reduced
- Manager informed of absence
Before Rejecting
Consider:
- Why are you rejecting?
- Is there a valid business reason?
- Is the reason company policy compliant?
- Can you negotiate different dates?
- Is employee aware of the reason?
After Rejecting
What happens:
- Status changes to "Rejected"
- Email sent to employee with rejection reason
- Employee's balance unchanged
- Employee can resubmit for different dates
- Manager informed of rejection
Leave Balance Tracking
Understanding Leave Balance
Each employee has different leave balances:
Example Employee Balance:
┌──────────────────────────┐
│ Vacation Days: │
│ Total Allocated: 20 days │
│ Used: 12 days │
│ Remaining: 8 days │
│ │
│ Sick Leave: │
│ Total Allocated: 10 days │
│ Used: 2 days │
│ Remaining: 8 days │
│ │
│ Personal Leave: │
│ Total Allocated: 5 days │
│ Used: 1 day │
│ Remaining: 4 days │
└──────────────────────────┘
When Balance is Insufficient
What happens if employee doesn't have enough days:
- System may show warning
- Request marked as "Insufficient Balance"
- Can still approve if allowed by policy
- Employee goes into negative balance
- May be deducted from next year's allocation
Action:
- Reject and inform employee to use different dates
- Or approve if company policy allows unpaid leave
End of Year Leave
What happens to unused leave:
- Depends on company policy
- May carry over to next year (with limit)
- May be forfeited
- May be paid out
- Check your company's leave policy
Common Scenarios and Solutions
Scenario 1: Employee Requests Leave During Peak Season
Situation: Employee requests 2 weeks off in December (busy season)
What to do:
- Review staffing
- Check if coverage available
- Check if project has deadline
- If possible, suggest different dates
- If must deny, provide clear reason
- Document the decision
Scenario 2: Same Date Multiple Requests
Situation: Multiple employees request same dates off
What to do:
- Check staffing requirement
- If adequate coverage, approve all
- If insufficient coverage, prioritize:
- First come, first served
- Seniority
- Critical role requirements
- Reject others and suggest alternatives
- Offer to help find different dates
Scenario 3: Excessive Sick Leave Requests
Situation: Employee taking sick leave every Monday/Friday
What to do:
- Review pattern in system
- Request medical certificate
- Discuss with employee
- Check if valid health condition
- Document all interactions
- Follow company health policy
Scenario 4: Leave Balance Negative
Situation: Employee already used more than allocated
What to do:
- Contact employee immediately
- Explain the overage
- Check company policy on handling
- Decide on deduction method:
- From future leave
- From salary
- From bonus
- Document the agreement
Scenario 5: Retroactive Leave Request
Situation: Employee requests leave for dates already passed
What to do:
- Explain this is usually not allowed
- Check company policy
- If emergency, may require documentation
- Request written explanation
- Approve only if justified and approved by manager
- Document all circumstances
Tips for Effective Leave Management
Tip 1: Respond Promptly
- Review pending requests daily
- Approve or reject within 24-48 hours
- Employee needs to plan
- Delays cause frustration
Tip 2: Be Consistent
- Apply same rules to all employees
- Don't show favoritism
- Document all decisions
- Follow company policy equally
Tip 3: Provide Clear Reasons
- When rejecting, explain why
- Help employee understand
- Suggest alternative dates if possible
- Keep professional tone
Tip 4: Check Leave Balance First
- Always verify sufficient balance
- Warn if balance getting low
- Plan for year-end leave usage
- Update balances annually
Tip 5: Plan Coverage
- Before approving, ensure coverage
- Notify managers of approved leaves
- Coordinate with department heads
- Plan for busy periods
Tip 6: Keep Documentation
- Save all approvals and rejections
- Document reasons for decisions
- Keep records for audits
- Maintain for legal purposes
Tip 7: Communicate Changes
- Notify all stakeholders
- Inform manager of approvals
- Update calendar immediately
- Alert payroll for processing
Common Questions
Q: Can I approve my own leave?
A: Usually no. Your manager or HR approval is needed. This prevents conflicts of interest.
Q: What if an employee doesn't have enough leave balance?
A: You can:
- Reject the request
- Suggest different dates
- Approve as unpaid leave (if policy allows)
- Advance next year's allocation (if allowed)
Q: How do I know if there's enough staffing coverage?
A: Check:
- Team size and roles
- Minimum staffing requirements
- Other approved leaves on same dates
- Project deadlines
- Discuss with department manager
Q: Can an employee cancel their own leave?
A: Depends on system:
- They may self-cancel before approval
- After approval, they may need manager approval
- System will show cancelled requests
- Balance restored when cancelled
Q: What if employee is on sick leave for extended period?
A: Follow medical leave policy:
- Request medical certificate
- May need doctor's approval to return
- Notify payroll of extended absence
- Update HR records
- Plan return-to-work process
Q: Can I see historical leave data?
A: Yes, the system stores all:
- Approved and rejected requests
- Leave balance history
- Usage patterns over time
- Filter by date range to see past requests
Q: What happens if employee submits same leave twice?
A: System should prevent:
- Duplicate requests blocked
- Or system shows warning
- Check if employee cancelled first one
- Contact employee if confused
Q: How do leave dates affect payroll?
A: Leave impacts:
- Salary deductions for unpaid leave
- Benefits calculations
- Overtime and bonus calculations
- Tax implications
- Payroll must be updated
Troubleshooting
Problem: Can't find a specific request
Solution:
- Use filters to narrow down
- Try different filter combinations
- Check if request is cancelled (not shown by default)
- Try searching by date range
- Clear filters and try again
Problem: Status won't change when I approve
Solution:
- Ensure form is properly filled
- Check if button is actually "Submit"
- Look for error messages
- Refresh page and try again
- Contact IT support
Problem: Employee not notified of approval
Solution:
- Check if system sends emails
- Verify employee email is correct
- Check spam folder for email
- Manually notify employee
- Contact IT if system issue
Problem: Leave balance shows incorrect number
Solution:
- Check if recent approvals processed
- Verify date range used for calculation
- Check for approved but not processed leaves
- Contact HR admin to recount
- May need manual balance adjustment
Problem: Can't reject because reason field missing
Solution:
- Scroll down to see full form
- Update browser if not displaying correctly
- Try different browser
- Refresh page
- Contact IT support
Best Practices for Leave Management
Practice 1: Daily Review
Review pending requests every morning before starting work.
Practice 2: Set Processing Time
Dedicate specific time each day for leave approvals.
Practice 3: Use Comments
Add comments to explain decisions for employee clarity.
Practice 4: Check Calendar
Always check the calendar for project deadlines and events.
Practice 5: Coordinate with Managers
Discuss with department managers before final approval.
Practice 6: Document Everything
Keep records of all approvals, rejections, and reasons.
Practice 7: Communicate Policies
Ensure employees understand leave policies and advance notice requirements.
Practice 8: Monitor Trends
Regularly review leave patterns to identify issues.
Practice 9: Plan Ahead
Look ahead at upcoming months for busy seasons.
Practice 10: Update HR Records
Keep employee information current for accurate processing.
Integration with Other Systems
Calendar Integration
- Approved leaves show on HR Calendar
- Employees see their leave on calendar
- Color-coded by leave type
- Updated in real-time
Payroll Integration
- Payroll system gets approval information
- Salary calculated accounting for leave
- Unpaid leave deducted from salary
- Benefits adjusted based on leave
Attendance System
- Approved leave marked in attendance
- No "absent" mark on leave days
- Leave days excluded from absence reports
- Affects attendance calculations
Dashboard Integration
- Pending requests count shown on dashboard
- Quick links to pending requests
- Overview of leave status
- Alerts for action needed
Performance Metrics
Metrics to Track
-
Request Approval Time
- Average time to approve/reject
- Target: Within 24-48 hours
-
Pending Request Count
- Number waiting for approval
- Target: Minimize pending
-
Approval Rate
- Percentage approved vs rejected
- Helps identify policy issues
-
Leave Balance Trends
- Are employees using their leave?
- Identifying unused leave patterns
-
Peak Leave Periods
- When most requests come in
- Plan accordingly
Legal and Compliance Notes
Important Reminders
- Follow company leave policy consistently
- Comply with local labor laws
- Document all decisions
- Maintain confidentiality
- Don't discriminate
- Allow required leaves (maternity, medical, etc.)
- Keep records for audit purposes
- Review policy annually
Need More Help?
- Ask your HR Director or Manager
- Review company leave policy document
- Contact HR Department
- Check system administrator guide
- Consult labor law resources
Key Features Summary
| Feature |
What It Does |
How to Use |
| Filters |
Narrow requests by criteria |
Select filters and click Filter |
| Status Filter |
Show requests by approval status |
Select status from dropdown |
| Date Filter |
Show requests within date range |
Enter From/To dates |
| Employee Search |
Find requests from specific employee |
Type employee name |
| Leave Type Filter |
Show specific types of leave |
Select type from dropdown |
| View Details |
See full request information |
Click view/details button |
| Approve |
Accept a leave request |
Click Approve button |
| Reject |
Deny a leave request |
Click Reject button |
| Comments |
Add notes to requests |
Type in comment field |
| Export |
Download request data |
Click Export button |
Last Updated: December 10, 2025
Version: 1.0
For: HR Managers, HR Specialists, HR Directors, Payroll Staff